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Two rides will headline the lavishly themed, nearly identical 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge lands coming to both of Disney’s U.S. resorts. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will empower visitors to take control of Han Solo’s famed hunk-of-junk starship, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will place them on the front lines of a skirmish between the Resistance and the First Order. Joshua Sudock, Disney Parks

Beyond the rides, expect lots of details to explore, blue milk and other distinctive drinks and dishes to sample, and interactive opportunities to experience, including the chance to meet Kylo Ren. The West Coast Galaxy’s Edge will open in the summer, while the galactic gang won’t make it to Florida until the fall. Joshua Sudock, Disney Parks

Mickey Mouse recently celebrated his 90th birthday, but the cherubic mascot hasn’t aged a whit. In fact, retro, pie-eyed versions of Mr. Mouse and his constant companion will star in their first ride, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Set to debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the fall, passengers will be magically transported into an animated world alongside the mice where they will board a train with Goofy at the helm. Disney

Legoland Florida will open an entire land devoted to the movies this spring. The featured attraction will be The Lego Movie Masters of Flight. A flying theater attraction (think Soarin’ from the Disney parks), it will immerse passengers in the films’ offbeat animated world. Merlin Entertainments

The land will also include Unikitty’s Disco Drop, a drop tower ride; Battle of Bricksburg, a ride that will arm passengers with water sprayers; and Emmet’s Super Suite, where visitors will be able to meet characters from the movies. Merlin Entertainments

Six Flags Fiesta Texas has re-imagined its interactive dark ride with new, original, seafaring characters. Riders will wage battle against nefarious mermaids and pirates, including the dastardly Captain Morgold, while trying to capture hidden treasures. Six Flags

There are plenty of sunny days in Orlando. And now you’ll know how to get, how to get to Sesame Street when SeaWorld brings the beloved locale to its park. After guests visit Mr. Hooper’s store, the 123 stoop, Big Bird’s nest and other iconic spots, they’ll be able to hop on themed rides such as Elmo’s ChooChoo Train and Slimey’s Slider (which will let kids explore Oscar the Grouch’s compost heap – ew!). SeaWorld Parks

Lionsgate Entertainment City in New York City‘s Times Square will present experiences based on the movie studio’s films and television shows such as “Divergent,” “Gods of Egypt” and “Ash vs Evil Dead.” Lionsgate

There will be a motion simulator attraction that will take passengers on an adventure in the Capitol from “The Hunger Games,” an interactive shooting dark ride set to the movie “John Wick: Chapter Two,” and a VR experience that will place participants on virtual motorcycles and unleash them in the world of the film “Nerve.” Lionsgate

Perhaps the most outré venue to open in 2019 will be Kind Heaven, a hard-to-describe $100 million attraction set to open in the late summer on the Las Vegas Strip. The brainchild of Jane’s Addiction front man and Lollapalooza impresario Perry Farrell, it will include dining and live music enveloped in a highly themed experience. Kind Heaven

Visitors will be transported, using theme park trickery, to Asian locales modeled after Bangkok, Tapei, the Himalayas and elsewhere. Vegas is no stranger to grand spectacle, but Kind Heaven promises to be especially audacious. Kind Heaven

When the 3-million-square-foot American Dream (the third-largest mall in North America) opens in East Rutherford, New Jersey, it will boast more space devoted to entertainment than to retail shops. Leading the lineup will be Nickelodeon Universe, the largest indoor theme park in the Western Hemisphere. American Dream

American Dream will also include the indoor, glass-domed, 8-acre Dreamworks Water Park. It will be open year-round and feature an enormous wave pool and other rides themed to the animation studio’s movies. American Dream

The Jurassic Park ride has been terrorizing visitors with its fearsome dinosaurs and splashdown finale for years. With the “Jurassic World” reboot amassing T. rex-sized box office receipts, Universal Studios Hollywood is getting its water ride spiffed up for the next generation of genetically engineered, prehistoric creatures. Universal Studios Hollywood

The former Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge at Hersheypark will morph into Reese’s Cupfusion. In the new version of the interactive dark ride, visitors are assigned the mission of protecting the candy factory while scoring points. Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company

For its latest expansion, Dollywood carved out a 6-acre tract for the $37 million Wildwood Grove. Geared to visitors with children, the land will welcome original woodland characters such as Benjamin Bear and the fairy butterflies Flit and Flutter. The centerpiece Wildwood Tree will sparkle with incandescent leaves and other effects after dusk. Rides will include the spinning TreeTop Tower and the galleon ride, Sycamore Swing. Herschend Family Entertainment

BigFoot Rapids at Knott’s Berry Farm gets a makeover and will reopen in the summer as Calico River Rapids. Like its wonderful, classic attractions Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride, Knott's will be introducing animatronic characters and themed show scenes. It will also amp up the river rapids thrills for the ride. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

The art collective Meow Wolf is partnering with Elitch Gardens in Denver to bring what it is describing as the “first artist-driven dark ride.” The multimedia attraction, which will open in April, will likely be highly colorful (you know, like a kaleidoscope) and trippy. Elitch Gardens

Mickey Mouse recently celebrated his 90th birthday, but the cherubic mascot hasn’t aged a whit. In fact, retro, pie-eyed versions of Mr. Mouse and his constant companion will star in their first ride, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Set to debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the fall, passengers will be magically transported into an animated world alongside the mice where they will board a train with Goofy at the helm.(Photo: Disney)

There’s no getting around it. What’s most anticipated at theme parks this year – and we’re talking intergalactic Anticipation with a capital “A” – are the two new Star Wars lands at the Disney parks. If you haven’t heard much about them yet, you will as The Mouse will surely supercharge its synergy synapses and hightail the hype into hyperdrive.

But there are plenty of other cool things coming to parks in 2019, including some wild roller coasters (over which I rhapsodize in an earlier article). It's not just parks. A number of pilgrimage-worthy attractions will open at nontraditional venues. Let’s run down some of the coolest rides (other than coasters) that are on the way, starting with the obvious.

Two rides will headline the lavishly themed, nearly identical 14-acre lands coming to both of Disney’s U.S. resorts. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will empower visitors to take control of Han Solo’s famed hunk-of-junk starship, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will place them on the front lines of a skirmish between the Resistance and the First Order. Beyond the rides, expect lots of details to explore, blue milk and other distinctive drinks and dishes to sample, and interactive opportunities to experience, including the chance to meet Kylo Ren. The West Coast Galaxy’s Edge will open in the summer, while the galactic gang won’t make it to Florida until the fall.

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Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, but there's lots more in store for Walt Disney World in 2019.
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Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Wonderful World of Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida

Mickey recently celebrated his 90th birthday, but the cherubic mascot hasn’t aged a whit. In fact, retro, pie-eyed versions of Mr. Mouse and his constant companion will star in their first ride, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Set to debut in the fall, passengers will be magically transported into an animated world alongside the mice where they will board a train with Goofy at the helm. What could possibly go wrong?

On May 1, the new nighttime show, Wonderful World of Animation, will premiere at the park as part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ 30th anniversary. It will draw on the Disney studio’s overflowing catalog of movies and characters and use the Chinese Theatre (which will also house the Runaway Railway ride) as the backdrop for the multimedia presentation.

The Mouse has been doling out details about the Star Wars lands it has been developing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland (the California Galaxy’s Edge is scheduled to open in the summer) in dribs and drabs, and the full picture has yet to come into full focus. Disney/Lucasfilm

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will transport guests to a remote trading port on the edge of space, where "Star Wars" characters and their stories come to life. The land will open at both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland in California in 2019. Disney

Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney parks, experiences and consumer products, revealed exciting details of new experiences coming to the parks during the Destination D event held for members of the D23 fan club in November at Disney World. Ty Popko

The focus may be on intergalactic adventures at Disney World in 2019, but Mickey Mouse, who recently celebrated his 90th birthday, will help bring things down to Earth with a number of developments dedicated to him across the resort. Matt Stroshane

Replacing The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will transport guests into the animated world of the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts and feature its retro, stylized characters and look and feel. Disney

Mickey will be among the cavalcade of stars in "The Wonderful World of Animation," a new nighttime show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As with other presentations that use the park’s Chinese Theater as a backdrop, it will incorporate projection mapping along with pyrotechnics, lasers and other effects. Disney

Visitors will be able to hobnob with characters from “Monsters, Inc.” and “The Incredibles” as well as get their groove on with Doc McStuffins and other video celebs at the Disney Junior Dance Party! Matt Stroshane

The "IllumiNations" fireworks spectacle that caps each evening at Epcot has been running for years, and there has been talk about replacing it for some time. Chapek confirmed that the show will end in summer of 2019 and that a new nighttime presentation will take its place in 2020. Disney

Nickelodeon Universe and other entertainment venues at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey

This is not your father’s mall. When the 3-million-square-foot American Dream (the third-largest mall in North America) opens in 2019, it will boast more space devoted to entertainment than to retail shops. Leading the lineup will be Nickelodeon Universe, the largest indoor theme park in the Western Hemisphere. It will feature rides (including two record-breaking roller coasters), live shows, and games based on SpongeBob SquarePants, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other Nickelodeon characters.

American Dream will also include the indoor, glass-domed, 8-acre Dreamworks Water Park. It will be open year-round and feature an enormous wave pool and other rides themed to the animation studio’s movies. Open year-round as well will be Big Snow America, the first indoor ski and snowboard park in North America. Among its attractions will be a 16-story-tall, 800-foot-long ski slope and an ice-climbing wall.

Outside the complex will be The American Dream Observation Wheel, a 235-foot-tall slow-moving ride with climate-controlled cars that will offer stunning views of the Manhattan skyline. Other venues will include an outpost of KidZania, where children can try their hand at a variety of professions and roles, a Legoland Discovery Center, a Sea Life Aquarium, and a large ice skating rink. If all of that fun makes you hungry, American Dream claims it will have more eateries than any other mall in the country.

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CAVU Designwerks and Framestore dreamed up Adventure Machine, an interactive dark ride in which passengers aboard automated, trackless vehicles would be able to control the motion of the vehicles using shooters or other input devices. CAVU Designwerks

Cavu and Framestore revealed an interactive roller coaster train that could speed up, slow down or turn depending on the actions of the riders. With shopping malls losing anchor stores and other tenants, the ride developers envision their interactive coasters bringing renewed energy and purpose to underutilized, indoor retail spaces. CAVU Designwerks

In one of the three “Game Changers” attractions that AVU Designwerks and Framestore have brainstormed together, passengers aboard a pair of drop-tower rides would face one another and see media projected onto a transparent screen between them. CAVU Designwerks

One of the industry’s leading designers of interactive dark rides, the Sally Corporation, had an impressive Big Bird animatronic character on display to promote the interactive Sesame Street attraction it is building for a 2019 debut at PortAventura Park in Salou, Spain. Arthur Levine for USA TODAY

The biggest news in the theme park world for 2019 will be the opening of the Star Wars lands coming to Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. In one of the attractions, guests will play hands-on roles piloting the famed Millennium Falcon spaceship. Disney/Lucasfilm

The Guardians of the Galaxy attraction now under construction at Florida’s Epcot will be a “storytelling coaster,” and will feature innovative ride vehicles that will pivot to optimally position passengers for show scenes. Marvel/Disney

Some of the thrill machines that will be opening in 2019 were showcased at the expo, including Tidal Twister, coming to SeaWorld San Diego in California. Manufactured by Skyline Attractions, the ride will feature two sets of cars that will race forward and backwards a number of times and cross over one another in the middle of a compact, horizontal, figure-8 track. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

Expo attendees got to see football-inspired seats and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ distinctive black and gold colors when S&S Sansei Technologies offered a first look at the lead car for the Steel Curtain, the 220-foot-tall, 75 mph behemoth coming to the Pennsylvania amusement park, Kennywood. Arthur Levine for USA TODAY

Dynamic Attractions revealed its latest concept at the expo, the Duel Power coaster. Like Disney’s Test Track and Radiator Springs Racers, the attractions would attach ride vehicles to a hidden roller coaster track. Unlike those attractions, each of the newfangled ride vehicles would include independent motion-platform bases and their own onboard power supplies. Dynamic Attractions

Perhaps the most intriguing new application of virtual reality technology on display was ParadropVR from Simworx. It simulates skydiving and incorporates interactivity into the experience. Arthur Levine for USA TODAY

Legoland Florida will be taking visitors airborne when it opens the Lego Movie Masters of Flight ride in early spring of 2019. It will be part of a new Lego Movie World land that will bring the quirky characters from the popular and wildly funny films to life. Arthur Levine for USA TODAY

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The Lego Movie World at Legoland Florida

The Lego brand soared in popularity when the wildly funny “The Lego Movie” opened to critical and audience acclaim in 2014. (A sequel is set to open this February.) Legoland wisely capitalized on the hoopla and incorporated elements from the films into its theme parks. Legoland Florida will open an entire land devoted to the movies this spring. The featured attraction will be The Lego Movie Masters of Flight. A flying theater attraction (think Soarin’ from the Disney parks), it will immerse passengers in the films’ offbeat animated world. The land will also include Unikitty’s Disco Drop, a drop tower ride; Battle of Bricksburg, a ride that will arm passengers with water sprayers; and Emmet’s Super Suite, where visitors will be able to meet characters from the movies.

Lionsgate Entertainment City in New York City's Times Square

Another new indoor venue, Lionsgate Entertainment City will present experiences based on the movie studio’s films and television shows such as “Divergent,” “Gods of Egypt” and “Ash vs Evil Dead.” There will be a motion simulator attraction that will take passengers on an adventure in the Capitol from “The Hunger Games,” an interactive shooting dark ride set to the movie “John Wick: Chapter Two,” and a VR experience that will place participants on virtual motorcycles and unleash them in the world of the film “Nerve.” When the Lionsgate complex opens in the fall, visitors will also be able to load up on carbs at Peeta's Bakery and make like Don Draper and order an Old Fashioned at the Mad Men Lounge.

Kind Heaven at The Linq in Las Vegas

Perhaps the most outré venue to open in 2019 will be Kind Heaven, a hard-to-describe $100 million attraction set to open in the late summer on the Las Vegas Strip. The brainchild of Jane’s Addiction front man and Lollapalooza impresario Perry Farrell, it will include dining and live music enveloped in a highly themed experience. Visitors will be transported, using theme park trickery, to Asian locales modeled after Bangkok, Taipei, the Himalayas and elsewhere. Vegas is no stranger to grand spectacle, but Kind Heaven promises to be especially audacious.

The simulated journey may take its cue from Universal Orlando, where the Hogwarts Express shuttles guests, quite convincingly, between the two Harry Potter lands based in the resort’s facsimiles of London and Hogsmeade. Kind Heaven

To return to Las Vegas, visitors will walk in tunnels and proceed through “customs” operated by SEATO, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization modeled after NATO (which actually disbanded in the 1970s). Kind Heaven

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Sesame Street at SeaWorld Orlando

There are plenty of sunny days in Orlando. And now you’ll know how to get to Sesame Street when SeaWorld brings the beloved locale to its park. After guests visit Mr. Hooper’s store, the 123 stoop, Big Bird’s nest and other iconic spots, they’ll be able to hop on themed rides such as Elmo’s ChooChoo Train and Slimey’s Slider (which will let kids explore Oscar the Grouch’s compost heap – ew!). The former Shamu Express family coaster will get a makeover with the new name, Super Grover's Box Car Derby. A parade featuring characters from the show will wind its way down Sesame Street daily.

Wildwood Grove at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

For its latest expansion, Dollywood carved out a 6-acre tract for the $37 million Wildwood Grove. Geared to visitors with children, the land will welcome original woodland characters such as Benjamin Bear and the fairy butterflies Flit and Flutter. The centerpiece Wildwood Tree will sparkle with incandescent leaves and other effects after dusk. Rides will include the spinning TreeTop Tower and the galleon ride, Sycamore Swing.

Jurassic World at Universal Studios Hollywood

The Jurassic Park ride has been terrorizing visitors with its fearsome dinosaurs and splashdown finale for years. With the “Jurassic World” reboot amassing T. Rex-sized box office receipts, Universal is getting its water ride spiffed up for the next generation of genetically engineered, prehistoric creatures.

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West Coast Racers at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California: Using electro-magnetic propulsion, two trainloads of passengers on opposing tracks will rev up to 55 mph on a straightaway and chase each other around a course filled with inversions, pops of airtime and overbanked turns. After an indoor "pit stop,” during which the famed car builders from West Coast Customs will cheer the riders on, the trains will take a second lap, but on the opposite tracks. The three-minute experience will include 14 "near-miss” crossings. Six Flags

Copperhead Strike at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina: Another coaster that will forgo a traditional chain-driven lift hill, Copperhead Strike will feature two magnetic launches. The first one will get things cooking from 0 to 42 mph in 2.5 seconds, while a mid-course booster launch will goose the speed from 35 mph to 50 mph. After the trains leave the station, but before they launch, they will slowly roll passengers upside down in the first of Copperhead Strike’s five inversions. Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America near Chicago: Instead of electro-magnetic propulsion, Maxx Force will use a compressed-air launch system to catapult its trains from 0 to 78 mph in two seconds flat. That’ll be the quickest acceleration of any coaster in North America. It will then soar an attention-grabbing 175 feet and deliver two high-flying inversions. The third time Maxx Force sends its passengers tumbling heels-over-head, they’ll be hightailing it at 60 mph, which Six Flags contends will be the world’s fastest coaster inversion. Six Flags

Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California: Similar to other "4D Free Fly" coasters, Batman will climb 120 feet and crisscross three undulating ribbons of track that will include inversions and beyond-90-degree drops. As if that wouldn’t be crazy enough, the trains' seats will be on the outside wings of the track and will spin willy-nilly in both directions – or, as the ride‘s designer characterizes it, free fly in the fourth dimension. Six Flags

Tidal Twister at SeaWorld San Diego: It will appear that two trains will be barreling toward and narrowly averting each other. In reality, the first-of-its-kind Tidal Twister will feature two sets of cars mounted on one long train with that will span the entire length of a 320-foot, horizontal, figure-8 track. Passengers will face both forward and backward, and the train will travel both directions as it revs up to 30 mph. SeaWorld Parks

Unnamed Harry Potter-themed coaster at Islands of Adventure, part of Universal Orlando in Florida: Universal has been mostly mum on the new coaster that is taking the place of its Dragon Challenge dueling coaster that used to be part of the original Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The construction site for the project includes a large building, so it is virtually certain that the ride will weave both indoors and outdoors. There is strong speculation among Potter-philes that the coaster will feature Hagrid the half-giant and that the attraction will take muggles on a journey through the Forbidden Forest. Universal Studios

Steel Curtain at Kennywood near Pittsburgh: A mighty coaster based on the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers will punt passengers 220 feet into the air and rush them 75 mph before sending them topsy-turvy with nine separate inversions (which will be a North American record). One of the flip-overs, a corkscrew at a height of 197 feet, will lay claim to the world’s tallest inversion. The coaster will be the highlight of Steelers Country, an entire Kennywood land devoted to the beloved hometown team. Kennywood

Tigris at Busch Gardens Tampa in Florida: Florida’s tallest launched coaster will impel its train forwards and partway up its track where it will stall and roll backwards. A second launch will keep it moving backwards partway up the opposite side of its giant loop. Tigris’ third launch will give its train enough oomph to climb to the top of a 150-foot loop, slowly invert at the apex, and then descend down the other side. Tigris will be similar to Tempesto at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia. Scott K. Brown, Busch Gardens® Williamsburg

Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto: The world’s tallest, longest and fastest dive coaster, Yukon Striker will bring passengers to the precipice of a 245-foot, 90-degree drop, let them mull it over for a few agonizing moments, and then dive down at 80 mph before bottoming out in an underwater tunnel. Inversions and other mayhem will follow. The new ride will mark the 17th coaster at Canada’s largest theme park. Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland near Toronto in Vaughan, Ontario The world’s tallest, longest and fastest dive coaster, Yukon Striker will bring passengers to the precipice of a 245-foot, 90-degree drop, let them mull it over for a few agonizing moments, and then dive down at 80 mph before bottoming out in an underwater tunnel. Inversions and other mayhem will follow. The new ride will mark the 17th coaster at Canada’s largest theme park.

Dragon Flier at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee: A suspended coaster (in which the trains hang under the track), Dragon Flier will be the featured attraction at Wildwood Grove. Like the rest of the new land that will open at Dolly Parton’s park, the ride will be geared to families with pre-teens and will keep its thrills in check. Herschend Family Entertainment

Unnamed 'Eurofighter' coaster and record-breaking spinning coaster at Nickelodeon Universe, part of American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey: One of the world’s biggest indoor theme parks, Nickelodeon Universe, is coming to one of the world’s largest malls, American Dream, and it will feature two record-breaking roller coasters (plus three more thrill machines). A "Eurofighter”-type coaster will climb up a vertical lift, bust through the top of the mall into a see-through tower, and give passengers a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline from its 141-foot perch, before plummeting down at a severely overbanked drop of 121.5 degrees – the steepest coaster drop in the world – and hitting over 62 mph. It will then zoom up into the rafters of the mall and deliver seven inversions. A second coaster will intertwine with the “Eurofighter” and include cars that will freely spin. At a height of 85 feet and a length of 2,247 feet, it will be the world’s tallest and longest spinning coaster. American Dream

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Meow Wolf's Kaleidoscape at Elitch Gardens in Denver

The art collective Meow Wolf is partnering with Elitch Gardens to bring what it is describing as the “first artist-driven dark ride.” The multimedia attraction, which will open in April, will likely be highly colorful (you know, like a kaleidoscope) and trippy.

Calico River Rapids at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California

The park’s BigFoot Rapids gets a makeover and will reopen in the summer as Calico River Rapids. Like its wonderful, classic attractions Calico Mine Ride and Timber Mountain Log Ride, Knott's will be introducing animatronic characters and themed show scenes. It will also amp up the river rapids thrills for the ride.

Reese’s Cupfusion at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Another makeover, the former Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge will morph into Reese’s Cupfusion at the candy-crazy park. In the new version of the interactive dark ride, visitors are assigned the mission of protecting the candy factory while scoring points.

Pirates of the Deep Sea at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio

Previously themed to Scooby-Do, Six Flags has re-imagined its interactive dark ride with new, original, seafaring characters. Scheduled to open on Jan. 12, passengers will wage battle against nefarious mermaids and pirates, including the dastardly Captain Morgold, while trying to capture hidden treasures. They will use onboard guns to shoot at targets and rack up points along with the booty.

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Perhaps the most anticipated ride will be West Coast Racers, a unique launched racing coaster coming to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Instead of relying on a traditional chain lift hill and gravity to get up to speed, the ride will use electro-magnetic propulsion to scream out of the station and hit 55 mph on a straightaway. Six Flags

Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America near Chicago will use compressed air for record-breaking acceleration. The ride will also feature five inversions, including one that riders will experience at more than 60 mph. Six Flags

Similar to The Joker at Six Flags New England, shown here, Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California, will feature cars that independently spin and flip 360 degrees forwards and backwards on the outside “wings” of an undulating ribbon of track. Six Flags

Six Flags America in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, will replace the trains on the former Apocalypse with floorless models in which passengers will sit above the track with their feet dangling. The modified ride, which will be renamed Firebird, will climb 100 feet, hit 55 mph, and include two inversions. Six Flags

Since it won’t actually coast, Lone Star Revolution, the ride coming to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, won’t technically be a coaster. Nonetheless, the park is touting the 100-foot-tall, motor-propelled ride as the world’s largest loop coaster. The train will circumnavigate the attraction’s giant loop a few times in each direction. Six Flags

Darien Lake in New York, which used to be a Six Flags park, is back under the chain’s umbrella. It will also go tall in 2019 with SkyScreamer, a swing ride that will climb 242 feet as nerve-wracked passengers spin around on precarious, open-air seats. Six Flags